Adjustable main conveyer



April 11, I F. N. ROSS ADJUSTABLE MAIN CONYEYER Filed June 20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l April 11, 1933. oss

' ADJUSTABLE MAIN CONVEYER Filed June 20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TO R fig/( 7 M 0 5S ATTO RN EYS April 11, 1933. F. N. Ross 1,903,478

' I ADJUSTABLE MAIN CONVEYER Fiied Jime'20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 11, 1933. M oss ADJUSTABLE MAIN CONVEYER Filed June 20, 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS l c. FREDERICK N. ROSS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFFICE BRIGGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN ADJUSTABLE MAIN convnynn Application filed June 20, 1930. Serial No. 462,620.

This invention relates to upholstery forming mechanism wherein finish and foundation fabrics are presented to a sewing mechanism together with strips of cotton bat whereupon the foundation and finish fabrics are united on spaced longitudinal lines to enclose between the seams the strips of cotton bat.

The present invention relates particularly to an improved form of main conveyer employed for the purpose of presenting the finish fabric to the sewing mechanism.

The invention has as its particular object to provide means for adjusting this main conveyer with respect to the sewing mechanism and has also as an object to provide an improved, novel and efficient form of conveyer mechanism.

The several objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein V Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a cushion sewing machine showing more particularly my improved adjust able main conveyer;

Figure 2 is a view partly in plan view and partly in horizontal section of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the plane" indicated by line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 44 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 5-5 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional viewtaken substantially on the plane indicated by line 6-6 in Figure 2 showing more particularly the conveyer structure;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail transverse sectional view throughthe conveyer taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 8-8 in Figure 6; V T

Figure 9 is a detail fragmentary plan view of a portion of the conveyer adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail side elevational view of the structure illustrated in an electric motor 13 having a shaft 14 which drives apulley'15. jA belt 16 engages pulley 15 and a pulley 17 on a shaft 18 which extends into a housing or casing 19 containing the reduction gearing. The shaft 20 is driven at a relatively reduced speed by the reduction gearing (not shown) contained in housing 19 and carries a sprocket wheel 21 with which a sprocket chain 22 engages for driving the conveyer, yet to be described.

In Figure 3 the reference character 23 inthereof is a driving motor, herein shownas '79 dicates a transverse frame member in the 7 form of a'U beam which extends between and connects the sides of the frame'lO, a similar cross frame member23 (see Figure 4) connecting the sides of the frame or base 10 at the other end thereof.

Mounted in the super-structure 12 which is superposed onthe base 10 at the right hand end thereof as viewed in Figure 1, is a stub shaft 24 having keyed thereto a'sprocket wheel 25. The chain 22 previouslyreferreol to engages this sprocket wheel 25 to drive shaft 24.. This shaft is longitudinally or axially displaceable to engage or disengage a clutch member 26 carried on the inner end thereof which engages a companion clutch stance, the sewing mechanism described in co-' pending application, Serial No. 506,791, filed January 5, 1931, and with the foundation and with the finish fabric forming mechanisms described in my co-pending applications, Serial Nos. 590,275, filed February 1, 1932, and 590,276, filed February 1, 1932. Moreover, the conveyer described and illustrated forms a part of the finish cloth forming mechanism and in practice it frequently becomes necessary, owing to adjustment and repair requirements to lower the'main conveyer so as to permit ready access to the associated parts of the mechanism. Therefore, one important object of this invention is to provide a main conveyer which may be readily lowered from its normal closely associated position with respect to the remaining mechanism. 7 v

In accordance herewith, the conveyer proper is supported upon a frame vertically adjustable with respect to the base 10, this frame comprising essentially a pair of longitudinal side members 31 slidably' supported upon the frame or base 10 capable of being vertically adjusted bodily with respect thereto. To this end each side frame member 31 is formed with a pair of longitudinally spaced dove-tailed ribs 32 adapted for engagement with a dove-tailed guideway 33 carried by brackets 34' secured to the top edge of the base 10. 7

Vertical adjustment of the side frame members 31 is accomplished by means of four vertically arranged screw shafts 35 rotatably journal'ed as at 36 in bearings 37' supported in the cross frame members 23 and 23. Each of the screw shafts 35 engages an internally threaded sleeve 38 carried by the side frame members 31. Fixed to the lower end of each screw shaft 35 is a bevel pinion 39 adapted to mesh with a bevel pinion 40 fixed to corresponding longitudinally extending shafts 41, two of these shafts being provided, one at each side of the machine, as seen best in Figure 3. v

The two shafts 41 are simultaneously rotated in timed relation with one another by means of a transversely extending shaft 42 provided at two points thereon with worm gears 43 adapted for engagement with a corresponding worm gear 44 on the shaft 41.

Brackets 45 assist in supporting the shafts 41 adjacent the worm gears 44 (see particularly Figures 1 and 5).

The transverse shaft 42 projects beyond the base or frame 10 at both sides thereof and is provided with handles 46 by means of which the transverse shaft 42 and consequently the longitudinally extending shafts 41 maybe rotated. The rotation of the shafts 41 rotates the screw shaft 35 through the intermediary of bevel pinions 39 and 41 whereupon the side frame members 31 will simultaneously partake of vertical adjustment, it being understood that a screw shaft 35 is provided at each end of the two frame members 31. Mounted upon the side frame members 31 is a'conveyer frame comprising end bearing blocks 47 at both ends thereof at the sides, and intermediate blocks-48. Tie bars 49 engage the end bearing blocks 47 and form the longitudinal sides of the conveyer frame, these tie rods passing through the intermediate supporting blocks 48, see Figures 1, 2 and 4. Transverse tie rods 50 connect the intermediate blocks 48 and trans-' 51 connect the bearing provided with corresponding sprocket wheels of Figures 9, 10 and 11 wherein it will be noted that L-shaped brackets 57 are provided having their horizontal flanges secured as for instance, by means of fastening means 58 to the underside of the slat orbar 55. Each pair of brackets 57 supports a pair of rollers 59 on pins or shafts 60, extending between V the brackets and the adjacent ends of successive brackets are connected by links 61 pivotally connected to the bracket by the adjacent shaft or pin 60. The links 61 are of a width greater than the diameter of the rollers 59 so as to provide flanges for the rollers as best illustrated in Figure 10. These flanged rollers are adapted to ride, during the upper flight of the conveyer, on

longitudinally extending strips or tracks 62,

see particularly Figures 2, 10 and 11. 7 These tracks 62 are uniformly horizontal so that the upper flight of the conveyer is in a true horizontal plane. Obviously, the chains 56 pass around the drive sprocket wheels 54: and, around the idler sprockets 53. These sprockets tend to maintain the conveyer transverse- 1y uniform during the operation thereof. Each of the slats 55 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced forming blocks 63 each of which is substantially U- shaped in vertical cross section providing a base 64 secured to the slat by means of a fastening element 65. Each slat 55 has a corresponding number of similarly spaced forming blocks 63 which in the upper flight of the belt form a plurality of substantially continuous longitudinal ribs which engage the finish fabric to preliminarily form in the same a corresponding number of longitudinal plaits or ridges constituting seam ridges employed in the sewing of the finish. fabric to the foundation material when these materials are presented to the sewing mechanism.

The manner in which the forming blocks act upon the finish fabric is diagrammatically illustrated by showing the finish fabric F in dotted lines in Figure 8. Obviously the conveyer will convey the finish fabric forward and present the same to the rest of the forming mechanism in this condition.

As best seen in Figure 6', the forward and rear edges 66 of the formation block 63 are rearwardly inclined, it being understood that the conveyer travels so as to move the formation blocks in a direction indicated by arrow A (see Figure 6). Thus when these blocks pass around the forward sprocket wheels 54 the rear ends thereof will not be rocked upwardly out of alignment with the general horizontal plane of the conveyer to the rear thereof. Thus, the finish fabric will not be distorted or pushed upwardly as it leaves the forming blocks which are just engaging the forward driving sprockets.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated semi-dia grammatically and in dotted lines, a fragment of the formation mechanism to which the conveyer feeds the finish fabric and with respect to which, and to other mechanism not shown, it is desirable to lower the conveyer.

It is believed that from the foregoing, several features, advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent so that a further detail description of this operation will be unnecessary herein.

While the specific embodiment and mechanical arrangement of the several features of this invention as illustrated herein have been found in practice to give entirely satisfactory results, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes in many of the non-essential details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come Within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a structure of the character de scribed, a conveyer comprising a plurality of slats, a plurality of longitudinally spaced forming blocks secured to each slat, said forming blocks cooperating to form substantially continuous longitudinal ribs in the upper flight of said conveyer.

2. In a structure of the character described, a conveyer comprising a plurality of slats, each slat having mounted thereon a plurality of longitudinally spaced forming blocks, said forming blocks cooperating in the upper flight of the conveyer to provide a plurality of longitudinal ribs which are adapted to continuously present a fabric strip to a cushion forming mechanism with a plurality of scam ridges therein. 7

3. In a structure of the character described, a belt-like conveyer comprising a plurality of slats, means pivotally connecting adjacent slats, forming blocks secured to said slats, each forming block being substantially U-shaped in vertical cross section to provide a base engaging said slat, and a fastening element passing through said base and said slat.

4. In a structure of the character described, a substantially belt-like conveyer for continuously presenting a fabric strip to a cushion forming mechanism, said conveyer comprising a plurality of pivotally connected slat-like members, each member being'provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced forming blocks which co operate in the upper flight of the conveyer to produce a plurality of longitudinal ribs, the adjacent edges of said forming blocks being inclined in the direction of movement of the conveyer, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.-

FREDERICK N; ROSS.

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